According to the Aspen Times, the mastermind of the plot is thought to have been a fifteen year old, who joined a trio of accomplices of similar ages in working out the scheme. They're considered to be part of a gang, their intended victim a gang rival.

The idea, local police say, was to coax a thus-far unidentified eighteen year old previously expelled from the school to Arbaney Park. Here's a look at a hand-drawn map of the area, which is dominated by Basalt Middle School, denoted by the initials "B.M.S.;" as pointed out by the Aspen Daily News, there's a scrawl in the lower right-hand corner that reads, "Hit spot."

Once the victim was in place, police believe the perpetrators meant to menace him with Airsoft pistols painted black to make them look more realistic and beat him with baseball bats. Once he was subdued, his limbs would have been immobilized by duct tape for transport to the rugged land near Ruedi Reservoir. Then he would have been left in the woods, where he'd have starved to death.

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According to police, the plan came to light earlier this week after the parents of one student involved in the machinations found a map. Their suspicion: It pertained to a drug deal. But a school resource officer reportedly discovered that the real purpose was far darker -- and police maintain that one of the students spilled the details during interviews this past Wednesday.

No formal charges have been filed at this writing, nor has any decision been made about whether the suspects will be treated as juveniles or adults. In the meantime, yet another Columbine anniversary has brought ill tidings.